August 1496

17 Aug.
S. E. T. c. I.
L. 2.

147. Isabella to Henry VII.
Certain English merchants have freighted Spanish vessels.
When they were ready to sail the Bishop of Badaioz had detained
them and ordered them to sail under convoy of the fleet
of Doña Juana, who is going to her husband the Archduke
Philip, as the voyage is very dangerous on account of the many
French ships now at sea. If the English merchants complain
of the delay, Henry is asked to excuse the Spanish captains.
—Laredo, 17th of August 1496.Spanish. pp. 2.

18 Aug.
S. E. T. c. I.
L. 2.

148. Queen Isabella to De Puebla.
Has written to Henry about the Spanish captains whose
vessels were freighted by English merchants, but detained
some time in order to sail under convoy of the fleet of the
Infanta Juana. De Puebla has to take care that they are
not made responsible for this delay.—Laredo, 18th of August
1496.Indorsed : "To Doctor De Puebla, &c."Spanish. p. 1.

18 Aug.
S. E. T. c. I.
L. 2.

149. Queen Isabella to De Puebla.
Will write to Henry about certain Spanish captains
whose vessels have been freighted by English merchants, but
kept back by her command in order that they might sail
with the fleet of the Archduchess. He must beg the King
to excuse the said captains for their delay.—Laredo, 18th of
August 1496.Addressed : "By the Queen to Doctor De Puebla, her
ambassador in England."Spanish. p. 1.

18 Aug.
S. E. T. c. I.
L. 2.

150. Queen Isabella to De Puebla.
The Queen.
Doctor De Puebla, my counsellor and ambassador.
After it became known that Arnao, the courier, was taken
at sea, and all the despatches lost which he was carrying,
except the short one which you received through the master
of the ship, of which you sent the copy, (and I do not know
why the others should not have been preserved in the same
way,) I ordered a triplicate of the despatch to be made. It
will be sent in this letter, the duplicate of which has been
already taken by another messenger, whom Diego Lopez
Dayala despatched from Fuenterabia, and which was returned
for me to look at.
Having read your dispatches of the 13th of June, which
I received to-day, some comments have occurred to me upon
what has been written. I now give them in order to enlighten
you further upon the subject. I also wish to speak
to you about some other things respecting which you have
written to me.

Proposal made by
the King of Scots
to Ferdinand and
Isabella.
The comments I have to make are these :—You have already
seen what was said in the foregoing despatch with regard to
the proposition made by the ambassador of the present King
of Scots to the King and Queen of Spain. He desires,
namely, that we should be pleased to give the said King of
Scots one of our daughters, and offers to contract a perpetual
alliance with the King of England in such a manner
that he may always be sure of him who is called Duke of
York. You are also aware of the answer which we gave
him, and of our having sent a message to Don Pedro de Ayala
by means of our ambassador. Lastly, you know what we
wrote to you respecting the terms in which you would have
to speak to the King of England.

Their answer.
Now, in order to explain everything to you more fully, we
have to tell you that the Princess (fn. 1) our daughter, is very
determined not to marry, on which account we are obliged to
give the Infanta Doña Maria to the King of Portugal. Of the
Infanta Doña Katharine it avails not to speak, seeing that,
if God will, her marriage with the Prince of Wales will be
concluded by your means. However, if we had had another
daughter left us, we would have gladly given her to the King
of Scots, in order the more effectually to gain him over to
our side. We should, moreover, have been desirous to do a
thing which would have been so pleasing to the King of
England, whose interests we look upon as identical with
our own.
However, considering that in the circumstances such a
course will be best, we have adopted the expedient which
you will see set down in the above-mentioned triplicate ;
that is to say, we are resolved to send the King of Scots our
said ambassador to keep him in suspense as much as he is
able. So that while these matters are in debate some form
of truce, as extensive as practicable, may be settled between
him and the King of England, the King of Scots giving
security for what has to be done.

Truce between
England and
Scotland.
Also, in order to settle affairs between us and the King of
England, our ambassador will, during this period of the
truce, stipulate for the marriage of the King of Scots to the
daughter of the King of England, which matter, as is due to
the concord and friendship subsisting between them, we will
forward as though the business were our own. Moreover,
Don Pedro de Ayala takes this express commandment from
us, namely, to obtain as much as ever he can, negotiating
everything in conformity with the wish and by the advice of
the said King of England. Tell him all this from us, and see
what he thinks of it ; for if it appear to him that we ought to
seek and obtain anything more, let him say so, and show how
we ourselves may procure it.
To the abovesaid Don Pedro de Ayala you shall give
constant information of all that occurs here, as he also shall
give to you. Thus you two, having an understanding with
one another, and you knowing by his despatches the state in
which these affairs of Scotland stand, can either urge or retard
the progress of matters, as you shall see is most consonant
with the success of the business, and the following out of the
objects which you know we have in view.

Alliance between
England and
Spain.To be kept secret.
With regard to the affair of our alliance and amity I have
noted all that passed between you and the King of England,
and the persons deputed to discuss the affair. We are inclined
to think that the reasons why the matter has been so much
noised abroad are such as you mentioned. The more, therefore,
that this becomes known, the more necessary it is to
take care that, at any rate, the conclusion of it should be
managed with the greatest secresy. Thus the more credit
that can be preserved with the King of Scots, with a view
to procuring what is suitable from the King of England, the
more secret will be the conclusion of our alliance and amity.
To this end I advise that you should continue your negociations
with the King of England (since you say that he
shows so much inclination thereto), so that he may conclude
and confirm the matter without the knowledge of the Commissioners
or any one else, excepting some one person in whom
he has the utmost confidence, and whose good intention cannot
be doubted. Moreover, the business must be carried on in
such a way that it may not be known or suspected that anything
of the kind has been done.
If you cannot improve the conditions of the marriage as
regards the point on which I wrote, do not mind it. In that
case pass it in the form which has been agreed upon, only take
care about what I have written respecting the custom house
duties.

The King of the
Romans and the
Archduke to be
excepted in the
alliance.
With regard to the affair of our alliance you must not
forget to make exceptions of the King of the Romans and
of the Archduke, with whom, on account of the relationship
subsisting between us, there is nothing further to be done.
Above all, I give you strict charge to conduct the affair with
the utmost possible secresy, as is necessary, for the reasons
stated above.

Rupture between
England and
France.
I noticed all that took place between you and the King of
England in presence of his council and of the ambassadors
of Venice and Milan, respecting his coming to a rupture with
France by sea. Of a truth we were astonished that he should
deliberate so much respecting such a matter. For as to the
inconveniences caused by his affairs in Scotland, they do not
appear to be such but that the advantages to be gained by
entering into the league, and by coming to a rupture, are much
greater.

Advantages to
Henry of entering
into the league.
This is more especially seen when the kind of alliance
which will subsist between all those belonging to the league
is taken into account, in addition to our own relationship.
Therefore, taking all this into consideration, there is nothing
to be feared from those things which he seems to dread.
Moreover, by entering into the league the King of England
will gain over the Pope, who is at the head of it, and who
will then be favourably disposed to him in his affairs, and
especially in the business of the Duke of York, a consideration
not to be lightly esteemed. You ought, therefore, to obtain
as much as you possibly can, using all the reasons and persuasions
stated in the triplicate, so that he may at any rate
make war by sea.
I pass over what you wrote to me about the King of
England having sent to require the King of France to desist
from the enterprise he has in hand ; for although it is little
to have merely said that unless he would do so, he on his
part would not fail to do that whereto he was bound ; yet
since by this time he ought to have the answer of the King
of France, perhaps through that, and by your means, he will
have determined to come to a rupture.

Unsatisfactory
answer of the
King of the Romans
to Henry.
Conjointly with this matter you ought to endeavour to
come to a conclusion respecting the affair of the league, so
that the said King of England may enter into it. With
regard to this matter it is occasion of surprise to us that you
should not have written what conditions are required in
order that he may enter. For there was no reason why you
should omit to mention things of so much importance and
substance. You ought also to have advised us of all particulars,
and of the answer that the ambassador of the King
of England, who was with the King of the Romans, brought.
For I am told here that it was not couched in such terms as
we desired it should be ; therefore it may be that it was
that which has caused him not to wish to enter into the
league upon equal conditions. Perhaps also some of those
belonging to the house of the King of the Romans may have
put obstructions in the way on account of their being partisans
of the Duke of York. If it be something of this kind which
has been done, and which is not in conformity with the wishes
of the King of England, let us know at once in what the
difference consists, and what it is that the King of England
desires of the King of the Romans or of those of the league.
Put the whole in writing, and send it to us, that we may take
upon ourselves the task of negociating the business in the
same way that we should if it were our own affair.

Duke of York.
Concerning your wish that he of York were in our power
you can assure the King of England that we will employ
ourselves in the affair as in one that concerns ourselves. What
we wrote in the letter of which we sent you a copy was not
of such a nature as to furnish you with any reason for understanding
it in the manner you did, for there was nothing in
it which conveyed any such meaning.

Embassy sent by
Spain to France
for that purpose.
As to the other affairs mentioned in the aforesaid triplicate, it
is not necessary to say anything more respecting them, except
that, besides the cause for which I wrote, namely, to inform
you what you should say to the King of England, I have also
to add this. You must state that, in return for both times
that the King of France sent his ambassador to us, we
have once more granted the sending of an embassy to him,
and that two of our messengers have already departed. The
cause whereof is this :—He sent his ambassadors to us twice,
as abovesaid ; and although they came about things of little
importance and less effect, and in fact to put us off with
ridiculous impostures and trivialities ; yet that he might have
no grounds for saying it was he who had obtained peace, attributing
to himself that which we have desired and procured,
and in order that neither by word nor in deed should he
take advantage of it, nor have any colour for saying so, we
have sent him these messengers to advocate the preservation
of the states ... (fn. 2) with God and the world,
and so much the more that for a thing concerning so greatly
the service of God ... good of Christendom.
Moreover, in order, if it were possible, to avoid all the many
evils and calamities which follow upon war, not only would
we send one and more embassies, but, if necessary, we would
even go in our own person, sparing ourselves no trouble
whatever. You shall say also to the King of England that,
in addition to the other embassies which we have sent to
him in times past, we have granted the sending of these
messengers for the aforesaid reasons, and to exhort and entreat
him to make peace by way of arbitration, or by any other
means that can be found. For we only wish that he should
be content with his own, and leave what belongs to others,
since by not acting thus all the wars, evils, and injuries which
have been done, and are doing, and shall be done, will be laid
to his charge, as they have been hitherto. Times enough
we have sent to him to say this, and to persuade him to this,
and the reason why we speak in this manner to the King of
England is, that if anything of a different kind should be
said to him, he may know that this is certainly the truth.—
Laredo, the 18th August 1496.
I, the Queen.
By command of the Queen.
Johan Coloma.
It is understood that what you will have to write to Don
Pedro de Ayala must be done with the greatest secrecy and
concealment, in order that the King of Scotland may not
know that there is an understanding between you, for it would
do great injury to all the negotiations.
Given die, loco, et anno quibus in litera ultima dico novissime
confecta.
Ex regnali mandato.
Johan Coloma.Spanish. Written in two keys of cipher, one of which is
extant. Deciphered by the editor.

19 Aug.
S. E. T. c. I.
L. 2.

151. Queen Isabella to Henry VII.
The Infanta Doña Juana is going to Flanders to her husband
the Archduke Philip. Henry is asked to receive her
and her fleet well, if she should be obliged to enter an English
port.—Laredo, 19th of August 1496.Addressed : "To the most illustrious King of England."Spanish. p. 1.

20 Aug.
S. E. T. c. I.
L. 2.

152. Queen Isabella to De Puebla.
The fleet which is to take her daughter the Archduchess to
Flanders, and to bring back her daughter the Infanta (Margaret
of Austria) to Spain, will sail the next day. Hopes that they
will be treated by English subjects at sea, or, if they should
enter an English port, in England, as though they were the
daughters of Henry VII. himself.—Laredo, 20th of August
1406.Addressed : "To Doctor De Puebla."Spanish. pp. 3.

20 Aug.
S. E. T. c. I.
L. 2.

153. Queen Isabella to De Puebla.
Has forbidden the exportation of iron and other things to
France during the time of war with that country. All captains
who sail from Spanish ports must therefore give security
that they will not carry their freights to French ports. Certain
English captains who have laden their vessels in the port of
Laredo with iron, &c. have been retained because they have
been unable to find the necessary securities. Has given orders
to have them released on their oaths not to carry their merchandize
to France. If Henry will promise, in a letter signed
by him, and sealed with his seal, that his subjects shall not carry
on trade between Spain and France, they may be exempted
from the obligation of finding security in Spain.
Respecting the other negotiations pending in England, he
is ordered to bring them to a speedy conclusion.—Laredo,
20th of August 1496.Addressed : "To Doctor De Puebla, &c."Spanish. pp. 3.

21 Aug.
B. M.
MS. Vitell.
C. XI. f. 52.

154. Queen Isabella to De Puebla.
Wrote to him prior to receiving his letter of the 13th of
June, desiring him to use more diligence in communicating to
her all that occurs.

Henry asked to
give a cordial
reception to the
Archduchess
Juana and Princess
Margaret in
case of need.
Has come to Laredo with the Archduchess her daughter, in
order that she may embark thence for Flanders. She is
already gone on board, and the fleet is ready to set sail. Has
written a letter, which he is to deliver to the King of England,
asking him to give a cordial reception to the Archduchess and
the fleet, in case it should be obliged, by stress of weather, to
put into an English port. Also requests Henry to give the
like reception to the Princess [Margaret of Austria], who will
return in the same fleet from Flanders to Spain.
Enjoins him to send her a reply by the courier who takes
this letter, and who is leaving in a ship despatched solely for
the purpose of conveying him to England.
Don Pedro de Ayala and the Scotch ambassador are on the
point of embarking for Spain. The latter being afraid of
falling into the hands of the English, she has therefore
nominated him her own ambassador. Has, however, desired
Don Pedro to destroy the document as soon as they have
made the passage. Acquaints De Puebla with this order
that he may know what the nomination signifies.—Laredo,
21st August 1496. (fn. 3)Spanish. Copy. pp. 2.Printed in Gairdner's Memorials.

22 Aug.
S. E. T. c. I.
L. 2.

155. Queen Isabella Of Spain to De Puebla.
Doctor de Puebla, my ambassador.
After having written my last letter I found by the letters
of some persons who have come from Rome that it has been
declared there that the King of England has entered into the
league.

Conduct to be
pursued by De
Puebla should
Henry have
entered the
league.
If it be so, and he has really entered, you must strongly
urge the affair of the matrimonial alliance and amity. You
must, moreover, do this in such a way as is consonant with
the obligation which we have incurred to the King of England
through the league, and he to us. We have, in especial, to
uphold and aid one another in matters affecting our states
against all persons whatsoever, with the exception of the
Pope, the King of the Romans, and the Archduke.

Inducements to be
held out to Henry
in order to persuade
him to make
war on France.
But if the King of England should not have entered into
the league, in that case act in conformity with what was
written to you on the subject. At any rate if you should see
that he shows any signs of making war upon France, and of
coming publicly to a rupture, or at least of permitting and
giving permission to his subjects and his ships to treat the
French as enemies, then it appears to me that, in order to gain
him over more entirely to come to an open rupture, you should
speak to him in the following manner. Tell him that matters
might be so arranged with the Pope as that he should give
him a crusade in his kingdom, he presenting to his Holiness
either the half of what it would produce, or perchance he
might prevail on the Pope to be content with a third, in
which case the larger proportion would be his. Say to
him, moreover, that we ourselves would obtain this for him,
taking it in hand as though it were our own affair.
By means of this, and such other inducements as you may
think it well to hold out, you ought, using all the means in
your power, to be able to make him adopt the course we wish
him to take.
Last night at midnight the armada set sail, the weather,
thanks to God, being favourable. May it please Him very
quickly to bring it to the desired haven, as He has the power
to do.
I have already written to you as to the course you will
have to pursue with the King in case the illustrious Archduchess,
my daughter, with the armada, should put into an
English port, and also as regards the return of the illustrious
Princess. See to it with the care that such an important
matter demands, and send off this courier immediately with
an answer to all that I have written to you, and with a full
account of all that may have taken place, in order that
the vessel may not be detained. For it is sent for nothing
else, excepting to convey the said courier to England, and
it is to wait until he returns hither.—Laredo, 22nd August
1496.
I, the Queen.
Johan de Coloma.Addressed : "By the Queen to Doctor de Puebla, her
ambassador and counsellor."Spanish. Written in two keys of cipher, only one of
which (that in Roman numbers) is extant. Deciphered
by the editor.

24 Aug.
S. E. Cor. Cast.
L. 1 and 2. f. 358.

156. Queen Isabella to Cartello, Courier.
Orders him to overtake the fleet of the Archduchess, and
deliver letters to her chaplain. That done, he must go to
Southampton, leave his despatches there, and proceed on his
journey, by land or by sea, to the King of the Romans.—
Laredo, 24th of August 1496.Spanish. pp. 2.

25 Aug.
S. E. T. c. I.
L. 2.

157. Queen Isabella to De Puebla.
The Queen.
Doctor de Puebla, my ambassador.
That which follows is the copy of my letter to you which
was written thrice by my own hand. Since then we have
heard that the ambassador of the King of England, who is at
Rome, has made a treaty with the ambassadors of the league,
and that the King of England has joined it ; also that the
publication will take place in December next.

Entry of Henry
into the league.De Puebla is to
treat about the
marriage of the
Princess Katharine
and the articles
to be concluded
secretly.
This intelligence has given us much satisfaction ; and as we
find that the conditions are not quite equal, if he do not give
his aid immediately in the war against France, I desire that
you should at any rate manage to gain little by little for us in
this matter. I also wish that immediately afterwards you
should treat for the marriage of our children ; for it appears
that there is not at present any King in the world who has
a daughter to whom he can marry his son excepting ours.
Moreover, it will be more advantageous for him than any
other alliances could be, on account of our vicinity to him.
Thus, whenever he might deem it necessary he could have
this fleet, which you may have seen, at his disposal, and
even a greater, should it be judged requisite.
For although such a thing has not been stipulated, certain
it is, that the matrimonial alliance having once been
agreed upon, we should thenceforth regard his interests as
identical with ours.
If the King of England be willing, let the articles of the
marriage treaty, as they were first agreed upon, be confirmed.
But do not let the clause respecting the customs be incorporated
in it. See that the business be immediately concluded,
and withal so very secretly that no one in the world
may know of it, except some very confidential secretary.
Take care also that you except from it the Pope, the King
of the Romans, and the Archduke ; for it will not be a matter
contrary to their interests, for us to defend his kingdom
against any one whatever.

Affairs of Scotland.
In the affairs of Scotland take heed that whatever you
write to Don Pedro de Ayala it should be with so much
secrecy that the King of Scotland may not discover that he
holds any communication with you. This is requisite in order
to the progress of these affairs. Reply to me immediately ; for,
in order that I may receive an answer at once, I send this by
a special messenger.—Laredo, 25th August 1496.
I, the Queen.
By order of the Queen.
Johan Coloma. Fiat.Addressed : "By the Queen to Doctor De Puebla, her
ambassador and counsellor."Spanish. The letter is written in two different keys of
cipher mixed up with one another. One of the keys
(Roman numbers) is preserved, the other is not extant.
The deciphering is by the editor.

Footnotes

1. Doña Isabella, widow of Don Alfonso, hereditary prince of Portugal, was
married a second time to her second cousin, Don Manuel, King of Portugal, in
the year 1497.